Georgia authorities reported that a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed last week by her 13-year-old brother, who was found to have been manufacturing and selling "ghost guns" and has been charged with felony murder.
During a Wednesday news conference, Sheriff Tim Pounds said that the boy accidentally shot his sister while trying to shoot someone else. Authorities reported that the incident allegedly occurred when people went to the two teenagers' family home located in Douglasville.
Ghost Guns
The individuals were believed to have gone to the residence under the guise of buying guns from the 13-year-old boy. The suspect is believed to have assembled the firearms with no serial numbers, the Douglas County sheriff said.
However, the group of people allegedly tried to steal the weapons from the boy, who then tried to shoot the thieves and accidentally hit his sister as the criminals were fleeing home. Police arrested the 13-year-old boy and 19-year-old Yusef Jabryil McArthur El, who was one of the men who tried to steal the young boy's ghost guns. Officials charged McArthur El with robbery and the young boy with felony murder, The Hill reported.
The boy is believed to have sold ghost guns across various Georgia counties, said Pounds, who noted during a news conference that the homemade firearms could not be traced. Police have not yet identified the other person involved in the robbery.
The sheriff's office put out a news release that revealed people at the home tried to bring the 14-year-old girl, identified as Kyra Scott, to the hospital but stopped at a gas station. It was there that they met EMTs and sheriff's deputies who helped bring the victim to the hospital where medical professionals confirmed her death due to her injuries.
"It's so sad because the mother's losing two kids at one time. He's selling those weapons on the streets of Douglas County, Carroll County, Atlanta, everywhere," said Pounds, who told reporters that the boy was responsible for making the weapons from scratch, CNN reported.
Accidental Shooting
District Attorney Dalia Racine said that the death of Kyra was a tragedy of "epic proportions" and marked an unspeakable loss for her family. The official said that the victim's demise was "absolutely senseless" and wondered how it could have ever happened.
Before authorities met with Kyra's family at the gas station, they were initially dispatched to respond to a report at the family's home but were later rerouted. Pounds said that when they arrived at the station, three people were inside the Scott family's car. Officials observed a young girl inside the vehicle who appeared to have been shot.
Pounds said that deputies pulled the girl out, noting she was lifeless and was not breathing. A nearby officer who assisted in taking Kyra out of the car and holding her up on the ground, Jaquan Straughn, was in a parking lot at the time.
Straughn said that the victim's little brother was going irate and going crazy as he saw his sister not breathing, saying, "Don't die. Don't die" again and again, Fox5 Atlanta reported.
Related Article:
